Lina is a ranged mage who quickly deals high damage with her abilities and attacks. She controls the lane well, and a successful Light Strike Array hit lets her immediately follow up against the stunned target. In this article, we’ll discuss Lina’s strengths and weaknesses, choose heroes to counter her in each position, list useful items, and explain how to play against her in lane and team fights.

Hero Overview

Lina is dangerous at medium range: Dragon Slave helps her clear waves quickly, Light Strike Array stuns, and Laguna Blade deals heavy damage to a single target. Her passive Fiery Soul increases her movement and attack speed after she casts abilities. This means Lina can not only unleash her spell combo, but also continue the fight with regular attacks if her opponent doesn’t manage to retreat.

The hero has a small health pool and no reliable built-in escape. If you dodge Light Strike Array or survive Laguna Blade, Lina can be caught and killed quickly. She struggles against heroes who can instantly close the gap, survive her spell combo, or prevent her from casting abilities. In lane, don’t stand near creeps, and change your position to avoid taking damage from Dragon Slave along with the wave.

Best Heroes Against Lina

Lina most often plays position 2, mid, or position 4, support. She can also play carry or hard support. Below are counter picks for each role that can survive her damage or quickly get on top of her.

Carry

  • Phantom Assassin closes the gap with Phantom Strike and can quickly kill Lina with physical damage. Blur helps her approach the target, but don’t jump on Lina while her allies are nearby and ready to stun you.
  • Lifestealer can survive a significant part of Lina’s magical spell combo with Rage and force her into close combat. Infest helps him reposition and start an attack unexpectedly. Wait until Lina has used her control abilities before chasing her.

Mid

  • Storm Spirit quickly reaches Lina with Ball Lightning, dodges her abilities, and can silence her with Orchid Malevolence. Don’t spend all your mana on a chase if your team isn’t ready to follow up.
  • Templar Assassin blocks some ability damage with Refraction and can punish Lina for a missed stun. Meld provides additional damage, while her fast farming helps her keep up the pace. Watch out for magical damage that removes her defensive charges.

Offlaner

  • Centaur Warrunner can withstand Lina’s spell combo and help the team close in on her with Stampede. Hoof Stomp can hold her in place if she has already used Light Strike Array. His high durability shouldn’t become an excuse to initiate fights without support.
  • Primal Beast starts a fight against Lina with Onslaught and holds her in place with Pulverize. His fast initiation doesn’t let the mage retreat safely, and Lina herself doesn’t like being caught in the middle of a crowd-control chain.

Support

  • Nyx Assassin approaches Lina unseen with Vendetta and stuns her with Impale. Mana Burn drains her mana, while Spiked Carapace lets him punish her for using abilities against Nyx.
  • Clockwerk catches Lina with Hookshot and traps her inside Power Cogs. The isolation prevents her from staying at a safe distance, while Rocket Flare helps scout the fog of war before moving in.

Hard Support

  • Oracle reduces magical damage with Fate’s Edict and saves a target with False Promise. This gives the team time to survive Laguna Blade and respond to the attack.
  • Abaddon removes some negative effects from an ally with Aphotic Shield and can survive Lina’s spell combo thanks to Borrowed Time. He helps protect a hero whom Lina is trying to quickly take out of the fight.

What to Buy Against Lina

  • Black King Bar helps a core survive magical damage and continue attacking Lina.
  • Glimmer Cape protects an ally from magic and hides them while they retreat.
  • Pipe of Insight reduces magical damage to the team if Lina unleashes her spell combo on several heroes at once.
  • Force Staff helps you get out of the stun area and create distance after an attack begins.
  • Orchid Malevolence prevents Lina from using abilities and mobility if she hasn’t managed to dispel the silence.

How to Play Against Lina at Different Stages

Laning

In lane, watch the direction of Dragon Slave, and don’t stand near an ally or creeps if Lina is preparing to hit everyone with one ability. Respect her attack range and don’t let her build up Fiery Soul repeatedly without a response. After she misses Light Strike Array, you can move in for a short trade. In mid, control the runes and ask your support for help if Lina keeps pushing you out of the lane.

Mid Game

During the mid game, don’t show alone in lane if Lina has disappeared from the map: she can quickly punish a hero without a defensive item. Place wards on the approaches to the side lanes and start fights from the flank. If Lina has used her stun, take advantage of the pause and close in on her. Don’t group up under Dragon Slave, and save Black King Bar for her main spell combo.

Late Game

In the late game, Lina still deals high damage, but becomes vulnerable if her team manages to initiate first. Save disables for her, and don’t use defensive abilities before Lina appears. Spread out so she can’t hit several heroes with one spell, and immediately counterattack after she tries to kill a target. If she has bought items for attack range and right-click damage, don’t let the fight drag on in an open area.